The NOAH isolation facility at the South Road Properties. | contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The New Oasis for Adaptation and a Home (NOAH) Complex at the South Road Properties (SRP) in Cebu City will be increasing its capacity to accept Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.
The Department of Health has approved the expansion on January 5, 2021, allowing the use of 90 additional beds from its current capacities.
The facility recently asked the DOH’s permission to expand due to the rising cases in the city.
According to Councilor Donaldo Hontiveros, the isolation facility has been filled up to its capacity with 362 patients.
Out of the 362, at least 22 of these patients are newborn babies born in the facility by COVID-19 positive mothers.
Hontiveros denied that the facility is overwhelmed since it is only filled up to full capacity and has still had enough space to expand.
The NOAH Complex is currently accepting asymptomatic and mildly asymptomatic patients and is being managed by the city government.
Councilor Joel Garganera, the deputy chief implementor of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), said that the NOAH is a very expansive facility.
“NOAH is such a big complex and run by efficient personnel. They’re expanding every now and then, it was designed to accommodate more patients,” said Garganera.
The EOC hopes that with additional beds at the NOAH, the backlogs in the extraction of positive cases will be resolved.
Additional Barangay Isolation Centers will also be opened to cater to the rising number of COVID-19 cases. /rcg